Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien on Sunday mocked BJP’s failure to announce the remaining 23 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in Bengal. In a post on X, O’Brien recalled that one BJP candidate had withdrawn after the Central BJP leaders had announced the names of their 20 candidates for Bengal.
In a post on X, O’Brien said: “BJP FLOUNDERING. Only 19 out of 42 candidates announced in Bengal. Two candidates in Gujarat have withdrawn. One candidate in UP has withdrawn. One candidate in Bengal has withdrawn.” A day after the BJP nominated Bhojpuri actor and singer Pawan Singh as its candidate from Asansol seat, the candidate withdrew from the Lok Sabha poll. In a post on X, Singh had said: “I express my heartfelt gratitude to the top leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party. The party trusted me and declared me as the candidate from Asansol but due to some reason I will not be able to contest the elections from Asansol….”
It was learnt that a conflict between Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar over selection of candidates for the Parliamentary constituencies in Bengal has put Central BJP leaders in a fix. So far the BJP has published one list mentioning the names of 20 candidates out of which one candidate refused to contest elections.